Table bonusing system and method

Abstract

A table bonusing system presents a bonus game with a jackpot and one or more ancillary awards to players of a base game at a gaming table. The table bonusing system comprises a controller in communication with one or more gaming tables. Qualifying wagers placed during the base game increment the jackpot and cause a card to be drawn from the bonus game's deck of cards. When the drawn card is of a randomly selected suit, the card is included in a set of placed cards. The jackpot is awarded when the set of placed cards forms a winning outcome. The controller presents its bonus game to players via a display at the gaming tables.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A table bonusing system comprising:
 a deck of cards stored on a storage device;   a controller that:
 randomly generates a selected card suit; 
 randomly generates a plurality of card draw threshold values; and 
 stores a jackpot value and one or more winning outcomes; 
   a plurality of gaming tables comprising:
 a table surface bearing a plurality of player positions where one or more wagers are received; 
 one or more displays; and 
 one or more client devices that receive wager information and transmit the wager information to the controller, receive bonus game information and display the bonus game information on the one or more displays; 
   wherein the wager information is generated based on the amount of the one or more wagers;   wherein the bonus game information comprises a set of placed cards and the jackpot value;   wherein when the wager information indicates a qualifying wager has been placed the controller:
 increments the jackpot value; 
 draws a card from the deck of cards when the jackpot value crosses one of the plurality of card draw thresholds; 
 inserts the card into the set of placed cards when the card is of the selected card suit; and 
 awards the jackpot when the set of placed cards is one of the one or more winning outcomes. 
   
     
     
         2 . The table bonusing system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller awards a special card award when the wager information the qualifying wager has been placed and the card drawn from the deck of cards does not have a suit. 
     
     
         3 . The table bonusing system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller awards a placed card award when the wager information the qualifying wager has been placed and the card drawn from the deck of cards is of the selected card suit. 
     
     
         4 . The table bonusing system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of gaming tables comprise one or more currency detectors at each player position that receive the wager information, the one or more currency detectors in communication with the client device. 
     
     
         5 . The table bonusing system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of gaming tables comprise one or more HIDs that receive the wager information, the one or more HIDs in communication with the client device. 
     
     
         6 . The table bonusing system of  claim 1 , wherein the jackpot value is incremented by a percentage defined by an predefined increment rate divided by a player count. 
     
     
         7 . The table bonusing system of  claim 6 , wherein two cards are drawn from the deck of cards when the set of placed cards contains three cards. 
     
     
         8 . A table bonusing system comprising:
 a plurality of gaming tables comprising a table surface for receiving a plurality of physical playing cards for play of a base game, and a communication device for transmitting wager information;   a display at each of the plurality of gaming tables that presents a jackpot and a set of placed cards;   a storage device storing a deck of cards;   a controller that provides a bonus game by:
 randomly selecting a card suit; 
 randomly generating a plurality of card draw thresholds; 
 receiving the wager information; 
 detecting a qualifying wager based on the wager information; 
 incrementing the jackpot when the qualifying wager is detected; 
 drawing a card from the deck of cards when the jackpot crosses one of the plurality of card draw thresholds; 
 inserting the card into the set of placed cards when the card is of the selected card suit; and 
 awarding the jackpot when the set of placed cards is a winning outcome. 
   
     
     
         9 . The table bonusing system of  claim 8 , wherein a special card award is paid when the qualifying wager is detected and the card drawn from the deck of cards has no suit. 
     
     
         10 . The table bonusing system of  claim 8 , wherein a placed card award is paid when the qualifying wager is detected and the card drawn from the deck of cards is of the selected card suit. 
     
     
         11 . The table bonusing system of  claim 8  further comprising one or more currency detectors that receive the wager information at each of the gaming tables. 
     
     
         12 . The table bonusing system of  claim 8  further comprising one or more HIDs that receive the wager information at each of the gaming tables. 
     
     
         13 . The table bonusing system of  claim 8 , wherein a plurality of cards are drawn from the deck of cards when the jackpot crosses one of the plurality of card draw thresholds. 
     
     
         14 . The table bonusing system of  claim 8 , wherein the jackpot is incremented by a percentage defined by an predefined increment rate divided by a player count. 
     
     
         15 . A method for providing one or more bonuses at a plurality of gaming tables comprising:
 randomly selecting a suit with one or more random number generators;   randomly selected a plurality of card draw thresholds with the one or more random number generators;   receiving wager information from a plurality of gaming tables via a communication device;   incrementing a jackpot when the wager information indicates a qualifying wager has been placed;   drawing a card from a deck of cards stored on a storage device when the jackpot crosses one of the plurality of card draw thresholds;   inserting the card into a set of placed cards when the card is of the selected suit;   presenting the set of placed cards and the jackpot at the plurality of gaming tables via a display;   determining if the set of placed cards is a winning outcome; and   awarding the jackpot if the set of placed cards is a winning outcome.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising paying a special card award when the qualifying wager has been placed and the card drawn from the deck of cards has no suit. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising paying a placed card award when the qualifying wager has been placed and the card drawn from the deck of cards is of the selected suit. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the wager information is received via one or more currency detectors at the plurality of gaming tables. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the wager information is received via one or more HIDs at the plurality of gaming tables. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the jackpot is incremented by a percentage defined by an predefined increment rate divided by a player count.